I, the Villain, Become Invincible the More Descendants I Have

Chapter 49 The Rebirth of the Demon ClanThe fervor of the Ten Thousand Demons paying homage had yet to fade when Emperor Cao Xukun set off, leading Governor Ao Xue and thirty thousand Great Xuan Dragon Cavalry on a grand march toward the Northern Territory.

Li Tieniu, carrying his great blade while riding his horse, looked around like a country bumpkin on his first visit to the city: ”Oh my god, the Northern Territory is too desolate! Everywhere I look, it’s just Gobi desert; there isn’t a single tree. Did the Demon Race really live in this crappy place before?”

”What else did you expect?” Emperor Cao Xukun leaned back in his carriage, munching on grapes peeled by Governor Ao Xue. ”For thousands of years, the Demon Race was oppressed by humans and could only shrink away in this godforsaken place in the Northern Territory. The lowest-ranking demons lived worse than pigs.”

As they were speaking, a dense mass of figures appeared ahead.

All the chieftains of the Demon Race tribes in the Northern Territory, along with their entire clans, knelt by the roadside, not daring to raise their heads. Seeing Emperor Cao Xukun’s carriage approach, they shouted in unison: ”Welcome, Emperor Xuan! Welcome, Governor Ao Xue!”

The sound shook the very Gobi desert. Li Tieniu curled his lip: ”These guys are certainly well-behaved now. Before, they were all thinking about trying to arm-wrestle with us.”

”Those who understand the times are wise.” Emperor Cao Xukun jumped off the carriage, his black dragon robe flapping violently in the gale as the pressure of his mid-stage Transformation into Divinity realm slowly radiated outward. All the Demon Race chieftains were so terrified they buried their heads even lower, not daring to even breathe loudly.

He scanned the crowd, his voice carrying across the entire field: ”Today, I, Emperor Cao Xukun, hereby announce the official establishment of the Great Xuan Dynasty’s Demon Race Province! The entire Northern Territory and all Demon Race tribes are now incorporated under the province’s jurisdiction!”

”I appoint Governor Ao Xue as the first Governor of the Demon Race Province, with full authority over the military and political affairs of the Northern Territory! All Demon Race affairs shall first be reported to Governor Ao Xue, and then reported to me!”

”Thank you, Emperor Xuan!” Governor Ao Xue stepped forward and bowed to accept the order. She had changed into a suit of silver governor’s armor, her long hair tied up, her brows and eyes exuding a heroic spirit. Surrounded by dragon aura, she naturally possessed the aura of someone in a position of power.

None of the Demon Race chieftains below dared to have any objections. The Dragon Clan had already submitted, and since Governor Ao Xue was the actual power-holder of the Dragon Clan, letting her be the Governor could not be more appropriate.

Over the next three days, Emperor Cao Xukun took Governor Ao Xue to visit all the major tribes in the Northern Territory.

They didn’t know until they saw it, and what they saw was shocking.

The slave system in the Northern Territory was simply inhumane. Powerful Demon Race tribes treated members of weaker tribes like livestock, buying and selling them, beating, cursing, and killing them at will. The slaves were neither fed nor clothed properly, and dying from exhaustion or being beaten to death was a daily occurrence.

At the largest slave market, Li Tieniu watched as a Bear Clan slave was beaten until his skin was torn and flesh mangled. He clenched his fists so hard they cracked: ”This is too much! How is this any different from beasts!”

Emperor Cao Xukun’s expression also darkened. He kicked over a nearby slave trader and loudly announced to all the onlookers of the Demon Race: ”From today on, the Demon Race Province hereby abolishes all slavery! All slaves shall be restored to freedom!”

”No one is permitted to buy, sell, or abuse slaves anymore. Violators will be executed immediately!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire crowd instantly erupted in an uproar.

All the slaves were stunned, unable to believe their ears. It took a long time before a deafening cheer erupted: ”Thank you, Emperor Xuan! Long live the Emperor!”

However, several old-school chieftains had their expressions change drastically and stood up to object: ”Emperor Xuan, this cannot be! Slavery is a tradition that our Demon Race has passed down for over ten thousand years! If you abolish slavery, how will our tribes survive?”

”Tradition?” Emperor Cao Xukun sneered, his eyes sweeping coldly across them. ”What kind of bullshit tradition is that? Treating your own kin like livestock to be bought and sold—does that even deserve to be called a tradition?”

”I tell you all, in Great Xuan, there is no such thing as a tradition that cannot be changed. If anyone thinks they cannot survive without slaves, then don’t survive.”

A Tiger Clan chieftain stiffened his neck and shouted: ”Our Tiger Clan has relied on slaves to work for generations! You are cutting off our livelihood by abolishing slavery! I do not accept this!”

”You do not accept this?” Emperor Cao Xukun’s eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand casually.

A golden dragon aura shot out, directly crippling the Tiger Clan chieftain’s cultivation. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, rolling around in pain.

”Is there anyone else who does not accept this?” Emperor Cao Xukun’s voice, like a thunderclap, exploded across the square. ”Step forward, and I will grant your wish.”

All the chieftains were trembling with fear and knelt down in unison: ”We dare not! We will strictly follow the decree of Emperor Xuan!”

”Wouldn’t it have been easier if you had just done this earlier?” Emperor Cao Xukun waved his hand, his tone softening slightly. ”I am not trying to cut off your livelihood, but rather to let all the Demon Race live a good life.”

”From today on, the Demon Race Province will have unified taxation. All tribes will pay one-tenth of their harvest, which is half of what you used to pay as tribute to the larger tribes!”

”We will uniformly implement the great xuan law. Whether noble or commoner, those who break the law will be punished equally! No one will be allowed to beat or kill others at will anymore!”

”The government will distribute land and seeds to the slaves and teach them how to farm. From now on, everyone will earn their living based on their own abilities; the more you work, the more you get!”

Once these policies were announced, all the low-ranking Demon Race members went wild with joy.

Previously, they had to hand over eighty percent of their harvest to the tribal nobles and were always at risk of being captured as slaves. Now, not only did they not have to be slaves, but the taxes were also so low—it was like a pie falling from the sky.

”Long live Emperor Xuan! Long live Great Xuan!”

The cheers rose wave after wave, spreading across the entire Gobi desert of the Northern Territory.

Over the next month, Governor Ao Xue demonstrated amazing governing ability.

She was familiar with Demon Race affairs and acted decisively. She quickly established government offices at all levels of the province and implemented the various policies in every tribe.

The slaves received land and wore long-lost smiles on their faces. For the first time, stretches of farmland and orderly villages appeared on the Gobi desert of the Northern Territory. Tribes that used to fight for territory every day were now busy reclaiming land and farming; they couldn’t even be bothered to fight anymore.

Li Tieniu looked at the changes before him and said with emotion: ”Emperor Xuan, you are truly amazing! In just one month, the Northern Territory is like a completely different place. Before, you could see dead people every three steps here, but now, people don’t pocket what they find on the road, and doors are left unlocked at night. Who would believe it if we told them!”

”This is not my credit alone.” Emperor Cao Xukun leaned back in a lounge chair at the Governor’s office, watching Governor Ao Xue reviewing memorials nearby, smiling with smug satisfaction. ”It’s mainly because Governor Ao Xue is capable; she can handle the court and the bedroom. I’m just an absentee manager, focusing on winning while lying down.”

Governor Ao Xue looked up and rolled her eyes at him, a blush appearing on her face: ”You’re the only one who can talk. There are so many things to do in the Northern Territory, I’m almost too busy to handle it, and you—you’re just lying there sunbathing all day.”

”That’s a must.” Emperor Cao Xukun stretched. ”If I did all the work, wouldn’t you be unemployed? I’m creating opportunities for you to shine. Besides, I have more important things to do.”

”What things?” Li Tieniu leaned over and asked curiously.

”Of course, going back to Luoyang to accompany my wives and children!” Emperor Cao Xukun said righteously. ”Qingyue and Qingying are both about to give birth; I, as a father, can’t just keep wandering around the Northern Territory, can I? Besides, those old guys in the Six Ministries must have piled up a bunch of memorials waiting for me. If I don’t go back, Li Tieniu, you’ll have to review the memorials for me.”

”No, no, no!” Li Tieniu waved his hands in fear. ”Emperor Xuan, please hurry back! With Governor Ao Xue in the Northern Territory, absolutely nothing will go wrong! I don’t want to review memorials; that stuff is even more tiring than fighting!”

Emperor Cao Xukun laughed heartily, stood up, and walked over to Governor Ao Xue, gently hugging her from behind, his hand carefully resting on her slightly protruding lower abdomen: ”Xuexue, I leave the Northern Territory to you. If anything happens, send me a message at any time, and I will rush over immediately.”

”Rest assured.” Governor Ao Xue leaned into his embrace and said gently, ”I will manage the Northern Territory well. When you come next time, you will definitely see a different Demon Race Province.”